


Tale of Two Neighbors

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-02-21 18:27:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2478152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur moves into his new flat and meets his strange new neighbor</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The room was bare, save the towers of boxes, all stacked in a discombobulated manner, pushed up against the walls, occupying the space that would soon house furniture, which, for the time being, was confined to one remote corner. Arthur maneuvered around the boxes as if they devised a maze, trying to locate the one he wanted to empty first.

  
When he finally dug it out and began to concentrate on emptying its contents, he was disrupted by a knock at the door. He moaned, discouraged by the disturbance. Who could possibly want to talk to him? He hadn't seen or met any of his neighbors yet.

  
At the threshold stood a boy of Arthur's height. He was skinnier and had far paler skin, with thin black hair that fell evenly around his face. His round, navy blue eyes were not quite dissimilar to Arthur's bright, crystal blue ones.

  
"Hello," he began, his shaky voice revealing a tad of anxiety, "I saw you carrying boxes up here and assumed you were moving in." Arthur nodded politely in response, remaining quiet.

  
"I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Merlin."

  
Arthur forced himself to suppress laughter. He had never met anyone with such an unusual name, but his fear of appearing rude if he responded overtook him, so he bit his tongue. After all, Merlin had taken the initiative to introduce himself and Arthur was under the impression that he was typically shy and reserved, implying this kind gesture was a rare occurrence.

  
"Anyway," Merlin carried on, paying Arthur no attention, as if he wasn't in the midst of holding back an obnoxious outburst. "I live right across the hall. If you ever need anything or want to hang out, you're welcome to come right over."

  
"Thank you," Arthur grinned, grateful for Merlin's generous offer. "I'm Arthur, by the way."

  
"Arthur," Merlin softly echoed. His dark blue eyes glowed as he savored each syllable. For a moment, Arthur thought Merlin's eyes had turned a sparkly, golden tint, but the vibrant flash of color was gone when he blinked again. He automatically deemed it a brief hallucination.

  
"Anyway," Merlin pressed on coolly, "I just wanted to meet you, since we're neighbors now."

  
Once Merlin left, Arthur returned to unpacking. This time, he worked tirelessly for several uninterrupted hours that stretched into the night.

  
Eventually, he examined the main room with a sense of pride. He wasn't finished clearing all of the boxes, but a majority of the difficult work was behind him, all accomplished in a short span of time. Exhausted, he crash-landed on top of his bed and fell asleep fully clothed, too lazy to bother undressing first.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur slept in late the following morning. He quickly dressed and ate a small but filling breakfast. He was determined to finish the previous day's work as soon as he could.

  
He reorganized the large pieces of furniture, arranging everything so it would be practical for daily use, instead of squished into one tight corner.

  
Next, he emptied the last remaining pile of boxes. It didn't take as long as he had predicted, so he decided to have lunch early. He scraped together a meager sandwich with the few ingredients he had lying around, noting that he'd have to buy more very soon.

  
He swallowed the entire sandwich rapidly and crawled back to his bed. He rested there, laying on his back, staring blankly at the plain white ceiling. All of a sudden, a familiar knock slashed through the silence like a thin blade.

  
Arthur lazily dragged himself to the door. His heart almost skipped a beat when he recognized the visitor on the other side of the threshold as Merlin. He had expected it to be Merlin, since he still had not met anyone else that lived in the building, but this unannounced appearance still surprised him.

  
"Hey, Arthur," Merlin greeted, his wide, enthusiastic smile stretching across his face. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time-"

  
"Don't worry," Arthur briefly cut him off. "I don't have any plans today."

  
"Good. Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were settling in. If you needed help unpacking or something..." Merlin's head abruptly sunk, his already hushed voice fading away, growing softer until it ceased to be audible.

  
"Thank you for offering to help, but I've already finished unpacking."

  
Merlin's eyes bolted back up, meeting Arthur's for a brief moment. Arthur spotted it again. That sudden, short-lived golden flash. But it disappeared quickly, before Arthur could observe it in detail. Arthur was certain he couldn't be imagining it. No. Not twice. Once could be labeled as a coincidence, but twice...

  
"Well, okay," Merlin reluctantly murmured, revealing disappointment. "I'll see you later." Merlin had already spun around and lingered back to his own flat, hands buried in his pockets and head hanging low, before Arthur could form a response.

***

After that, for approximately a week, Merlin continued to visit Arthur. Arthur anticipated his arrival every day.

  
For the first few visits, Arthur involuntarily rolled his eyes when the indistinguishable knock hummed at the door, its familiar rhythm filling the room. There was even one day when he secretly wished that Merlin would leave him in peace for just the day. However, that attitude promptly changed. As they spent more time together, Arthur began to realize that, underneath his thick shell, Merlin was actually really fun to be around.

  
A strong friendship bloomed right away. Despite that, Arthur felt fluttery and willing at the potential of more between them.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur felt different the next time Merlin visited. Everything between them seemed far more relaxed, but Arthur wasn't sure why initially. He suddenly felt comfortable around Merlin, as if they were close siblings, but that was all he was certain about.

  
They had been sharing food and jokes a lot, but that was standard for normal friendship, wasn't it? For a split second, that thought made Arthur uneasy. Normal friendship. Whatever he was feeling, whatever he and Merlin shared, it sure as hell couldn't be described as just another normal friendship.

  
He also believed that Merlin did not perceive their interactions as mere friendship, either. The potential filled him with a fulfilling sense of satisfaction.

  
That night, Merlin and Arthur laughed at their own sarcastic remarks as always, but the silent connection bonding them together felt more secure than ever.

  
They sat at the compact table that was forced into the corner of Arthur's cramped kitchen. They began the evening with their chairs on opposite ends of the table, facing each other with a flat surface in between. Somehow, their chairs ended up pressed closely together later in the evening. It was a gradual, unquestioned transition.

  
There were even a few occasions when they would lose themselves in each other's eyes, gazing adoringly, soaking in the miniscule details, memorizing the shades of blue. They were both mesmerized by the dazzling colors of each other's eyes.

  
Everything was serene until a sudden, loud buzzing filled the otherwise tranquil vicinity. Merlin leapt out of his chair, alarmed by the unexpected disruption. He yanked his phone out of his pocket and shot Arthur an apologetic glance from out of the corner of his eye, which was primarily fixed on the bright screen. He crept to the small hallway outside the kitchen to answer it.

  
He snuck back in a few minutes later, appearing distressed, which concerned Arthur.

  
"Sorry," Merlin sullenly whispered, "but I really need to go. It's just, my uncle... The situation is, uh, complicated, but he's demanding that I see him right now. And if you knew him, well, you'd understand. He's old and it doesn't take much to get on his nerves. For such a typically upbeat guy, he can actually blow up pretty quickly. Arthur, hopefully I can come over again tomorrow night. You're really fun to hang out with. Goodnight." Merlin trailed out with reluctance and hesitation, as if his conscience was trying to force him to stay.

  
Arthur hauled himself over to his bed, upset that his wonderful evening had slammed into an abrupt end. He sank into his bed, his weary eyes tuning out the world, instead focusing on the blank ceiling.

  
He lay awake for a few exhausting hours, lost in thought. He reflected on the evening. Before drifting into a light sleep, he imagined Merlin's face, which was once shy, but now sparkling with enthusiasm because he was comfortable around Arthur. The last thing Arthur remembered before drifting off was smiling to himself.  
 


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur didn't know when Merlin returned to his flat, if at all.

  
That evening, he ate a solitary dinner, feeling distraught at the silence filling his flat. He had quickly adapted to the life that normally filled the vicinity every night, but was unaware until the one time Merlin wasn't around to brighten Arthur's mood.

  
After finishing his meal, he anxiously paced around, trying to think of a way to spend his evening alone while avoiding the burden of Merlin's absence. He decided to take a late-night walk to free his cluttered thoughts. As he headed out, he bumped into Merlin in the hall.

  
"Merlin!" He exclaimed. He didn't anticipate seeing him when he was unprepared.

  
"Hey, Arthur," Merlin replied, his voice oddly calm. "I'm really sorry about last night."

  
"It's fine," Arthur lied, emulating Merlin's relaxed attitude. He had been upset about what transpired the previous evening, but he didn't blame Merlin. After all, it was out of his control.

  
"Hey," Merlin continued, "would it be okay if we hung out tonight?"

  
Arthur's heart leapt. His mood suddenly perked up.

  
Of course! He joyfully thought, wishing he could yell his desires.

  
"Yeah, that would be nice," he merely murmured instead.

  
Once in the flat, they somehow ended up sitting on the end edge of Arthur's bed rather than reclaiming their usual spots at the table. They felt far less restricted on the bed.  
They sat close to each other, their legs pressed together. They gazed into each other's eyes, which shared a mutual understand of the underlying feelings that their words could not express.

  
Arthur spotted a tiny glow in Merlin's glistening eyes. He was intrigued by it, leaning closer. Merlin did the same.

  
Their lips met within seconds. The kiss was soft and gentle, but, regardless, it felt purposeful. Their bodies were warm and secure, connected by the powerful bond. No words were spoken, but they were unnecessary.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait time but I've been really busy lately. thank you for the patience!!!

One Saturday night, Merlin went to a club with is best friend, Gwaine.

Merlin hadn't yet told Gwaine the details of his new relationship with Arthur, only that they were getting along well and were close friends.

Merlin and Gwaine situated themselves at a table and ordered some beers. Neither of them were fond of dancing, so they sat and chatted for a while.

Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin spotted a flash of vivid blond hair behind Gwaine's shoulder. He recognized it instantly. Arthur's. His heart nearly skipped a beat at the familiar, oddly comforting sight of it. What was Arthur doing here? Merlin wanted to approach him, but worried talking to him there would be awkward with Gwaine around.

Merlin caught himself staring excessively at Arthur, who had not realized Merlin was there as well. Gwaine hadn't seemed to notice that Merlin was distracted and hardly regarding his speedy words.

"Hey," Gwaine suddenly interrupted, cutting through Merlin's thoughts. Merlin blinked his eyes back into focus to see that Gwaine was turned around in his chair, facing the same direction as Merlin.

"Who's that guy Morgana's with?"

_Morgana?_ Merlin thought, puzzled. He had been too distracted by the fact Arthur was there to notice that Morgana also strutted into the vicinity.

Then, Merlin noticed a girl by Arthur's side. He studied her carefully, from head to toe. She appeared familiar. Black hair, long and curly as it fell to her chest. Light green eyes. Morgana! How could Merlin possibly miss his friend, who had been standing beside Arthur the entire time? And more importantly, how did _she_ know him?

Merlin's head throbbed against his skull as he excessively thought about the situation. He forced aside his confusion and focused his attention back on Gwaine.

The rest of the night passed by smoothly as Merlin managed to keep Arthur out of the churning flow of thoughts that crowded his brain.  
 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the lack of updating, but I've been extremely overwhelmed lately so here's a short chapter right before I start finals!! (hopefully I'll be back into my writing routine this week. thank you for being patient!!!)

The next day, Merlin, feeling groggy, trudged across the hall to Arthur's flat. He wanted to ask about Morgana. Continuous thoughts had been eating away at him all night, but he successfully slept through it.

Merlin quietly knocked on the door. Arthur arrived at the threshold instantly.

He pulled Merlin into a hug when he saw him. Merlin contently hugged Arthur back, wrapping his arms around Arthur's warm back.

Merlin lingered into the flat. He headed straight to the kitchen. Arthur trailed behind, staying close to Merlin.

"I saw you at that club last night," Merlin bluntly announced, spinning his heels to face Arthur, "and you were with one of my friends."

"You know Morgana?" Arthur blurted out, his booming voice filling the air. Startled, Merlin nodded sheepishly.

"I didn't know you were friends with my sister." He paused, carefully observing Merlin's expression, which revealed confusion.

"I'm assuming she never told you I'm her older brother, did she?"

"No," Merlin responded, his voice low. Silence filled the air.

"I didn't tell her," Arthur whispered moments later, "about us."


	7. Chapter 7

A few days later, Merlin was out with Gwaine again. This time, their close friend Gwen met them at the club.

"So, Merlin," Gwen began, pulling up a chair as she spoke, "Gwaine told me you're friends with your new neighbor."

"Actually," Merlin revealed after a brief pause, "there's more than that."

Neither Gwaine nor Gwen said a word, but they both smiled eagerly, clearly happy for Merlin.

***

The next day, Arthur was bored, so he crossed the hall to Merlin's flat with hopes that seeing Merlin would brighten his day.

Arthur knocked on the door and Merlin answered quickly.

He escorted Arthur into the flat after a brief, but welcoming greeting. Arthur looked around curiously.

"Would you like some water?" Merlin offered. Arthur nodded. Together, they headed into the kitchen silently.

Merlin pulled two glasses out of a cabinet, turned the faucet on, and filled both of them to the brim.

"How've you been?" Merlin asked, turning as he handed a glass to Arthur.

"Things have been fine," Arthur muttered, sipping as he spoke. "You?"

Merlin paused, thinking about what he wanted to say. "I told my friends about our relationship," he announced, leaning against the counter. "They-"

"Did you tell Morgana?" Arthur interjected.

"Huh?"

"Did you, or did you not, tell Morgana about us?"

"No," Merlin stared at Arthur, confused. "She wasn't even there."

Arthur exhaled, appearing relieved. Merlin stepped over to him, lightly grasping his hand.

"What is it?" Merlin looked into his eyes and kissed his cheek gently.

"It's just," Arthur attempted, sounding as if he was out of breath, "I want to tell her. But I don't know how..." His voice faded as he lowered his head, as if trying to avoid eye contact with Merlin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry again for another long wait. I was surprisingly busy/stressed during winter break and this semester is going to be super overwhelming for me too... so another short chapter for now... also I apologize in advance if I get behind!


	8. Chapter 8

The following afternoon, Merlin stopped by Arthur's flat before he headed out to meet Gwaine for lunch.

Arthur pulled Merlin inside. He kissed him in greetings. Then, he invited Merlin into the kitchen so they could sit.

Accepting the offer, Merlin followed Arthur into the kitchen.

They sat down at the table in the kitchen.

"How are you doing today?" Arthur asked, excited to see Merlin.

"I'm going out with some friends tonight," Merlin explained, "Would you like to come with us? They really want to meet you." Before Arthur could respond, Merlin quickly added, "Morgana won't be with us."

"Of course," Arthur smiled after a moment's thought, giving Merlin a brief kiss to show his appreciation. "Is it okay if I invite my friends? I want you to meet them, too."

"Sure, that's fine." Merlin kissed Arthur, but abruptly ended the kiss to check his watch as if he were in a hurry. "I have to go soon. Sorry."

"It's okay," Arthur sounded disappointed, but he seemed to understand. "I'll see you at the club tonight, okay?"

Merlin nodded and kissed Arthur on the cheek, rapidly turning to leave the kitchen.

As Merlin left the building, he was already looking forward to the evening ahead.  
 


	9. Chapter 9

That evening, Arthur went to the club. Two of his close friends, Leon and Percival, were with him.

The interior of the club was a familiar sight, but it felt different to Arthur that night.

Within moments of arriving, Arthur spotted Merlin at a table in the corner.

Merlin sat between two people Arthur did not recognize. One was a man with dark, wavy hair that fell just above his shoulders and the other a woman with long, dark, curly hair. 

Arthur headed to the table, sitting down as he introduced his friends. They filled the vacant seats that circled the table.

***

Later, the clinking of high heels echoed in the vicinity, seamlessly cutting through the chatter and laughter.

Everyone turned around, facing the front door to catch a glimpse of who was wearing such loud high heels.

A tall woman stood in the midst of the crowd. She wore a skin-tight, solid-colored dress. Her distinct, vibrant red lips contrasted with her fair complexion.

Merlin recognized her by the light eyes and black hair. Morgana.

Arthur also noticed Morgana and panicked, startled by her sudden, unexpected arrival.  
 


End file.
